Zana

'Zana' (2019) directed by Antoneta Kastrati is the first film from Kosovo that I've ever seen. It is no surprise that the film deals with the wars in the Balkans at the end of the last century, among the consequences of which were the appearance of new states on the map of Europe, including Kosovo. However, the perspective from which the conflict is presented is different. The director, who lives in Los Angeles and has made several documentaries about that period, chose together with the screenwriters to describe the conflict indirectly, by presenting the traumas and psychological sequels of the conflict more than a decade after the events. It does so from the point of view of the victims and especially of the women who were in many cases the ones who suffered the most during the war and who continued to bear in silence the nightmares of the horrors they went through. The result is a special film, with a strong emotional impact, a testimony and a document made with the tools of fiction film.

The story takes place in a Muslim village at the intersection of the world of smartphones and YouTube applications, with the traditions that guide the lives of families and the community for centuries. Lume (Adriana Matoshi) is a woman approaching her 40s who carries the hard work duties in a rural economy and within a social order in which women seems to have many more obligations and far fewer rights to decide about their own lives than men. The trauma of the memory of her young daughter killed in the war a decade ago does not leave her, and the woman is finding it increasingly difficult to face the pressures of her husband Rem (Fatmire Sahiti) and mother-in-law (Astrit Kabashi) who want another child to be born. When modern medicine seems to be ineffective, the family presses her to turn to the advice of 'healers' - either the local ones in the village or the most famous ones, with television programs and fees of 500 euros. Modernity and tradition, the trauma of war and the attempt to preserve the cohesion of the family, all meet in conflict in the woman's life.

The whole film revolves around the character of the Lume, and Adriana Matoshi's acting is exceptional. The villager from Kosovo is fragile in soul but also dignified in her attempt to overcome her trauma and to face forces much stronger than her in a world where she is surrounded by hostility and indifference. Antoneta Kastrati's directorial conception, even if she fails to completely avoid the demonstrative rhetoric, combines it with elements of social criticism and careful observation of traditions in order to make the film cinematically interesting beyond the manifest message. The cinematography is also expressive, with moments of authentic beauty. The fantastic thread is less explored, the director being more concerned with the social dimensions of the phenomena of 'healers' and exorcism. This reminded me of another film from the Balkans, 'Beyond the Hills' by the Romanian Cristian Mungiu, where a similar theme was also approached in a realistic register. I liked less the way the characters around Lume were defined, I think there was room for more psychological depth especially in the characters of the heroine's husband and mother-in-law. 'Zana' is a film that adds to a gallery of productions that describes the conflicts and wars in the Balkans and their aftermath. In addition, it is a film with cinematic quality moments, a film worth seeing, and not only in the context of the message against violence of war and prejudice.

It is really an amazing movie probably the best ever from Kosovo. It totally deserves an Oscar nomination. Goog luck.

Zana are mysterious beings from the forest who heal those who connect with them. Having lost a child in the recent war and haunted by nightmares of the experience, Lume is hesitant to bring another child into the world. Her husband and his mother put constant and extreme pressure on Lume to bear another child. They blame Lume and accuse her of being cursed. If only they or someone could help Lume with heartbreak.

Zana is dedicated to the mother and sisters the director lost in the war and drawn from Antoneta's own experiences. Antoneta also interviewed Albanian women whose experiences followed similar patterns. In exploring wounds of war Zana avoids the easy answers and the macho attitudes that make it harder for women to heal. Antoneta hopes to start conversations about the war and help women to talk about what they conceal inside. This is not the sole reason to see Zana, it is also a beautiful, jarring and well-crafted film. Though it is from a new director, actors, filmmakers and country, it is polished and enthralling. Seen at the Toronto international film festival.

Zana is a powerful film from Antoneta Kastrati, director whose films need to be followed. Few war inspired films nowadays are able to escape the unnecessary melodrama and a approach that basically forces the audiences into feeling sorry for the victims. Zana is not one of those films. Starting from masterful acting by the best of Kosovo's acting community, to an elaborate and powerful cinematography, and the haunting sound score, Zana feels like matured and precise filmmaking, which is surprising considering Zana is the first feature film by Kastrati. Using the Kosovo war as a backdrop to the story, Zana in essence speaks about the pressure of patriarchal values against the female protagonist. This is un-mistakenly a personal film for Kastrati, as she informs at the end credits that her mother and sister were victims of the Kosovo war. Her previous films, short and docs, all dealt directly and indirectly with effects of the conflict. Zana is a culmination of those efforts, professionally and masterfully put together by a wide team of talented professionals. Because it is personal, Kastrati, through the subtle yet emotional performance of Adriana Matoshi, puts us inside the head of the female protagonist. Other actors also very good at providing a picture and emotions of living a village life, with all the challenges, cries, laughter and every day monotony and suffering in a village struck by the devastation of a war. However, this is by far a personal story of the female protagonist, and the entire film and her world is viewed from her perspective entirely. In addition to being informative on personal effects of the Kosovo war, and how women continue to be perpetual victims of it to this day, Zana feels cathartic. I was honored to see the film in its premiere in Prishtina. The audience was shaken to the core, barely able to give an applause to the present film team afterwards. There were people crying and shaken in the corridors, a testament to the sincerity and strength of this film. The acting play of the local healer, played incredibly by one of the best actors in Kosovo is Mensur Safqiu is a performance worth of multiple awards and is timeless in its nature. Another aspect of the film is very personal and beautiful cinematography, which allowed actors to show their skills and haunting locations to show their strength. And finally, the sound and music composed (Albanian-German band Andrra) adds the necessary emotional layer to the film, without being "in your face" too much. All in all, Zana can be easily said to be the best and most powerful of Kosovo's cinema, putting Kastrati firmly into the generation who will lead the New Kosovo Cinema Wave. A must see film for everyone.

It has been a month since I saw this movie, however I am still thinking about it. It gave me so many emotions, especially considering the fact that it represents a reality for many Kosovan families living in rural areas. The last scene made me cry, and I never cry!!!